COUNT AND NONCOUNT NOUNS

GIANIE JEAN-PHILIPPE5TO SEMESTRE PLURILINGÜE

(a) I bought a chair. Sam bought three chairs.

(b) We bought some furniture.

INCORRECT: We bought a furniture.

INCORRECT: We bought some furnitures.

Chair is a count noun; chairs are items that can be counted.

Furniture is a noncount noun. In grammar, furniture cannot be counted.

SINGULAR PLURAL

COUNT

NOUN

A chair

One chair

Chairs

Two chairs

Some chairs

A lot of chairs

Many chairs

A count noun:

(1) may be preceded by a/an in the singular;

(2) Takes a final -s/-es.

NONCOUNT

NOUN

Furniture

Some furniture

A lot of furniture

Much furniture

A noncount noun:

(1) Is not immediately preceded by a/an;

(2) Has no plural form; does not take a final -s/-es.

Look at the italicized nouns in the following sentences. “C”(Count nouns) and “NC”(Noncount nouns)

C C C

I bought some chairs, tables, and desks. In other

NC

words I bought some furniture.

NONCOUNT NOUNSMost noncount nouns refer to a “whole” that is made up of different parts.

(a) I bought some chairs, tables and desks. In other words I bougth some furniture.

furniture represents a whole group of things that is made up of similar but separate items

(b) I put some sugar in my coffee.

Sugar and coffee represent whole masses made up of individual particles or elements.

(c) I wish you luck.Luck is an abstract concept, an abstract “whole”. It has no physical form; you can’t touch it. You can’t count it.

(d) Sunshine is warm and cheerfulPhenomena of nature, such us sunshine, are frequently used as noncount nouns.

(e) NONCOUNT: Ann has brown hair. COUNT: Tom has a hair into his jacket.

(f) NONCOUNT: I opened the curtains to let in some light.

COUNT: Don’t forget to turn off the lights before you go to bed.

Many nouns can be used as either noncount or count nouns, but the meaning is different;e.g., hair in (e) and light in (f).

To express a particular quantity may be preceded by unit expressions:e.g., a spoonful of sugar, a glass of water, a cup of coffee, a quart of milk, a loaf of bread, a grain of rice, a bowl of soup, a bag of flour, a pound of meat, a piece of furniture, a piece of paper, a piece of jewelry.

SOME COMMON NONCOUNT NOUNSThe following are typical of nouns that are commonly used as noncount nouns. This list serves only as a sample.

(a) WHOLE GROUPS MADE UP OF SILMILAR ITEMS: baggage, clothing, equipment, food, fruit, furniture, garbage, hardware, jewelry, junk, luggage, machinery, mail, makeup, money/cash/change, postage, scenery, traffic.

(b) FLUIDS: water, coffee, tea, milk, oil, soup, gasoline, blood, etc.

(c) SOLIDS: ice, bread, butter, cheese, meat, gold, iron, silver, glass, paper, wood, cotton, wool, etc.

(d) GASES: steam, air, oxygen, nitrogen, smoke, smog, pollution, etc.

(e) PARTICLES: rice, chalk, corn, dirt, dust, flour, grass, hair, pepper, salt, sand, sugar, wheat, etc.

(f) ABSTRACTIONS:- beauty, confidence, courage, education,

enjoyment, fun, happiness, health, help, honesty, hospitality, importance, intelligence, justice, knowledge, laughter, luck, music, patience, price, pride, progress, recreation, significance, sleep, truth, violence, wealth, etc.

- Advice, information, news, evidence, proof.

- Time, space, energy.- Homework, work.- Grammar, slang, vocabulary.

(g) LANGUAGES: Arabic, Chinese, English, Spanish, etc.

(h) FIELDS OF STUDY: chemistry, engineering, history, literature, mathemtics, psychologie, etc.

(i) RECREATION: baseball, soccer, tennis, chess, brigde, poker, etc.

(j) GENERAL ACTIVITIES: driving, studying, swimming, traveling, walking (and other gerunds.

(k) NATURAL PHENOMENA: weather, dew, fog, hail, heat, humidity, lightning, rain, sleet, snow, thunder, wind, darkness, light, sunshine, electricity, fire, gravity.

EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY

An expression of quantity (e.g., one, several, many, much) may peced a noun. Notice below: Some expressions of quantity are used only with count nouns; some only with noncount nouns; some with either count or noncount nouns.EXPRESSIONS

OF QUANTITY

USED WITH

COUNT NOUNS

One

Each

Every

One apple

Each apple

Every apple

EXPRESSIONS

OF QUANTITY USED WITH

COUNT NOUNS

Two

Both

A couple of

Tree, etc.

A few

Several

Many

A number of

Two apples

Both apples

A couple of apples

Tree apples

A few apples

Several apples

Many apples

A number of apples

EXPRESSIONS

OF QUANTITY USED WITH NONCOUNT NOUNS

A little

Much

A great deal of

A little rice

Much rice

A great deal of rice

EXPRESSIONS

OF QUANTITY

USED WITH

COUNT NOUNS

USED WITH NONCOUNT NOUNS

Not any/no

Some

A lot of

Lots of

Plenty of

Most

All

Not any/no apples

Some apples

A lot of apples

Lots of apples

Plenty of apples

Most apples

All apples

Not any/no rice

Some rice

A lot of rice

Lots of rice

Plenty of rice

Most of rice

All rice

BIBLIOGRAFÍA

Betty Schrampfer Azar. Understanding and using English Grammar.